Dogs got into coop

[backyardbarn]

This afternoon my dogs somehow managed to open to house doors to let themselves into the backyard and into my animal pen. They killed my two ducks. My rabbits and chicken hid under the coop. Rabbits and two of the chicks are just shook up. One of my RIR chicks has some missing feathers. One of my silky chicks has the skin torn off of her leg area. No blood at all. She can walk and doesn't seem to be in pain. I have put them in a small dog carrier with a heat light on it in the garage. (It was also raining today so they are wet) They are sleeping and cooing.

My problem is that I live in a residential area. No vets around here see chickens. A pet chicken to them seems a little crazy. Can anyone help me. I am new to chickens and love them dearly. I am most concerned about the silky with the torn skin. What should I do?

 

[ruth]

Hi and welcome to BYC. I'm sorry to hear that your first post is about tragedy. For the chicken with the skin missing from her leg, wash the wound as well as possible using Betadine if you have it. Then apply Neosporin, the non-pain relief kind. Look carefully and check to see if there is any skin that can be stretched back over the wound and stitched in place. You can use regular needle and thread if necessary. I've sewn up many, many badly ripped open chickens and they've all healed beautifully. If there is no skin left to stitch then keep her somewhere where she won't be exposed to flies or ants till the wound dries.

 

[backyardbarn]

Thank you so much for replying. After calling about 25 vets I ended up calling the young man we purchased the chicken from. He told me about the same thing you are suggesting except he said to use iodine. Is this ok also as far as you know?

Thank you again for the help.

 

[fldiver97]

Iodine and Betadine are pretty much the same. You can use either. Be careful when applying it, it will stain especially your clothes....If you can't suture you may try to carefully wrap with VetWrap (same stuff as the 'human' self sticking wrap sold at CVS, Walgreens etc but usualy colored and cheaper) Good luck

 

[purpletree23]

Should the Betadine be diluted or used straight??

 

[ruth]

Quote:
It depends on what kind you get. I normally get a small bottle of it from my vet to keep on hand. It's the really thick, syrupy, stuff that is meant to be diluted. I normally put a little on a tip of a towel then dip the towel in warm water then wash the wound.

I know lots of people are really against the use of hydrogen peroxide these days but since it was a dog injury and dirt and stuff could have stuck to the wound by now - I would first cleanse the wound with hydrogen peroxide. Let it foam out any debris for a few minutes. Then clean with betadine.

I use hydrogen peroxide on all the hens I find at end of day that return to coop injured or torn open by roos. It leaves a nice clean wound that I can then clean with betadine and then stitch closed. Apply Neosporin. Never had one get infected.

 

[Judy]

If you are going to use Betadine, dilute it a lot, til it looks like weak iced tea, and only use it once, not daily. The chick probably doesn't need anything but Neosporin (or generic triple antibiotic ointment, same thing, or whatever antibiotic ointment you have on hand) and isolation til it is healed. It will scar over without sutures just fine, most likely.

 

[fldiver97]

Use it straight, does not have to be diluted or rinsed off. I am a "people nurse", have fostered lots of cats/dogs, many with medical issues. First time with chickens but I worked with a variety of seabirds when we had an oilspill (in Florida). Ended up being a "bird nurse" .....Volunteered thinking I would clean up or wash birds. Little did I know that they were going to turn an ICU nurse into an ER bird nurse....

 

[fldiver97]

Uhm......just saw the other replies re diluting. Don't want to confuse anybody ! I never use the "syrupy" kind, I always use what I have on hand for everybody which is the liquid... See what you have available

 

[Judy]

Quote:
It depends on what kind you get. I normally get a small bottle of it from my vet to keep on hand. It's the really thick, syrupy, stuff that is meant to be diluted. I normally put a little on a tip of a towel then dip the towel in warm water then wash the wound.

I know lots of people are really against the use of hydrogen peroxide these days but since it was a dog injury and dirt and stuff could have stuck to the wound by now - I would first cleanse the wound with hydrogen peroxide. Let it foam out any debris for a few minutes. Then clean with betadine.

I use hydrogen peroxide on all the hens I find at end of day that return to coop injured or torn open by roos. It leaves a nice clean wound that I can then clean with betadine and then stitch closed. Apply Neosporin. Never had one get infected.

Nothing wrong with peroxide, either; just use it once, only. Peroxide and Betadine both kill new skin cells, so you don't want to use them on a wound repeatedly, but they also are excellent wound cleansers. Peroxide is especially good for a deep or puncture wound, as it tends to "boil out" the crud.

Actually, the best thing to use after the peroxide or Betadine is saline. Pick it up in the drug store (no additives) or make your own:

http://healthfieldmedicare.suite101.com/article.cfm/normal_saline_for_wound_care

I doubt it matters much whether you dilute Betadine or not, if you rinse it off with saline, though I would dilute it if it was syrupy. The problem with Betadine is iodine toxicity, so if it is rinsed off after cleansing, there won't be much absorption.

Years ago, before all this was known, we would apply it to people straight, and leave it there, as the MD had ordered. I have never seen anyone die of iodine toxicity. I have, however, seen it heal some unbelievable wounds. Modern methods would no doubt be better, but still....